I cannot see a top bank pool player passing on that 2 ball for the win. The odds have to be heavily in his favor making that shot to win than the incoming player to run 3 and out if he misses. He has to figure to hang that 2 ball in the hole at worst.

I cannot see a top bank pool player passing on that 2 ball for the win. The odds have to be heavily in his favor making that shot to win than the incoming player to run 3 and out if he misses. He has to figure to hang that 2 ball in the hole at worst.

If the CB was frozen on the top rail, that's whole other story.

I see that you are from Cincinnati. I know two great bankers from Cincinnati who for absolute sure wouldnt bet the game on the 2 ball, Joey Spaeth and Clem Metz.

The eternal pool adage is that it is the guy that is behind that has to shoot at the moon.

Just curious... why not hit the CB firmly in the center and straight back the 2? The CB would likely crawl forward from the friction and get somewhere near the end rail. Even if you miss it.. the 2 would rebound back towards the cb and back up table again. Against Efren... why not win from here and mitigate the miss penalty?

Any top flight bankpool player would not think twice about smokin that 2 straight back,no matter what the score is.Just bc he missed it does not mean it's not the right shot. Futhermore it's layin perfect to hit it with my method (over cut it and stun the cball ) ( that pocket is a foot wide on the tv table with my method)the cball stuns off the side rail right to the bottom of the end rail on the middle diamond. John B.

Side note: Joey and Clem never ever played bank pool.I played alot of pool with Joey and knew Clem pretty good.

Any top flight bankpool player would not think twice about smokin that 2 straight back,no matter what the score is.Just bc he missed it does not mean it's not the right shot. Futhermore it's layin perfect to hit it with my method (over cut it and stun the cball ) ( that pocket is a foot wide on the tv table with my method)the cball stuns off the side rail right to the bottom of the end rail on the middle diamond. John B.

Side note: Joey and Clem never ever played bank pool.I played alot of pool with Joey and knew Clem pretty good.

PS: does anyone think that Buggs would not fire the 2 straight back?

Dear CatFishBreath,

How many top Bank players would shoot the 2 on their own dime??? NONE, that's how many, because they don't have a dime.

Joey and Clem couldnt play bank pool? What? Maybe in the 80s and 90s when they were over the hill or had quit playing, like Clem did. In the 60s they both spent a lot of time in Chicago on the Black South Side. There are only 2 games played there, Banks and Onepocket, and they both played plenty of both games. They were 2 of the few players that were able to win playing pool down there for years and years. Eddie Taylor, CornBread and me, were the other three.

I played plenty of bank pool with Joey in the early 60s. He played me 10 to 8. Not a good game for him actually, but I wasnt playing my best then, but I wasnt a shortstop either. Never played Clem bank pool. Bugs played Joey 8 to 7 banks, not as much spot as you might think, because he beat Buddy hall with 10 to 8.

Now as far as Clem's bank pool ability, Clem was a better player than Joey playing both OnePocket and Banks. I guess I kinda knew Clem a little myself, as he came to Chicage to see me when he was dying and in trouble.

Billy Carrelli, who was a pretty good banker and is now a horse trainer, hung in Mergards in Cincy in the 60s and 70s, and spent plenty of time with Joey, Clem, and Donnie Anderson. Billy is writing his memoirs and has been consulting with me.

Billy said Donnie never beat Clem playing bank pool in his whole life. They spent time on the road together and Clem would play one pocket and Donnie would play the banks. Billy asked Clem why he let Donnie play all the bank pool, and Clem said he's got to do something, I cant let him play the one pocket.

If anyone needs confirmation of the above, or maybe some Cincy bank pool stories, here is Billy's email address.billycarrelli@yahoo.com

If you came from Cincy you played bank pool. If you came from Chicago's South Side -- even the White guy part -- you played bank pool.

Would Bugs shoot at the straight back? In his 20s, yes. In his 30s, not so much, unless he was playing a weak player.

Would Keith McCready shoot at the 2 ball? In a hot New York minute. That's why I left him so many of them. With him always going for everything,
I broke him every time we played.

Would Truman shoot at it? Yes he would.

Would Tony Fargo shoot at it? Probably not.

Would Tony Banks Coleman shoot at it? He always used to, and I always used to dead break him doing it.